Appearances Can Be Decieving
by MandyK
Summary: If you find something interesting in the Pegasus Galaxy, leave it alone!Carson centric team fic, with Carson whumping, and also some Shep whump.
1. Chapter 1

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECIEVING.

A/N this is for TJ, who fed my habit for me . With thanks to TJ and Kodiak Bear for doing such a great beta job. For all you Carson fans out there...

Summary: if you live in the Pegasus Galaxy and find something interesting…leave it alone!

Part One.

Carson Beckett woke slowly, and lay for a few minutes enjoying the sheer luxury of being able to wake up under his own steam. All too often his alarm calls were panicked shouts for a medical team; not usually conducive to a relaxed and undemanding lifestyle. He lay quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the silence and watching the shadows of the trees on the roof of his tent, as they swayed gently in the breeze.

A few minutes were all he was given though. Pressure from his bladder made getting out of his nice, warm sleeping bag an imperative. Sighing, he slid out from the comfort, and hurriedly dressed in the morning chill. Once outside, it was worth it. The sun (or this planet's equivalent) was rising in Technicolor glory, and the air smelled fresh and clean, like the glens of home. Inhaling deeper, he was able to detect the welcome aroma of coffee, or at least, the Pegasus Galaxy's substitute which, (and he wouldn't admit this to anyone) he actually preferred.

After taking care of business, he wandered over to the fire, intending to help himself to coffee, only to find the pot empty.

"Pot's empty, sir," called Simons, the soldier currently on watch. "I was just going down to the stream to refill it."

"Och, it's nae bother. I'll go. My legs could do with a stretch." The stream was only a hundred yards or so away from the camp, and its musical tinkling had helped send Carson off to La La land the previous evening; he would quite like to have a wander down and check it out. Maybe there'd be trout, or something. Humming softly, feeling truly relaxed for the first time in a very long while, he lifted the pot from its stand, and ambled down to the water.

They had set up camp in an exceptionally pretty place; the flood plain of the stream which he was nearing now. Looking back, he could see the tents snuggled into the shelter of the forest; near enough to be protected from the cold winds that seared down from the distant mountains, but far enough that if any large and hungry creature decided they'd make a good lunch they'd have ample warning. The Stargate, large and imposing, stood on a raised dais at the far end of the meadow.

There were a few tents in a semicircle around the campfire. Major, or rather Lt. Colonel Sheppard occupied one, and so far hadn't made an appearance, while Teyla occupied another. Dr. McKay had thrown up his hands in mock horror at the proposed trip, stating he'd prefer to stay where there were proper toilets. In reality there was so much work to occupy him since the Wraith attack that he would have been hard pushed to get away, so Sheppard had taken pity on Rodney, and had dragged Carson along instead. Much as he'd protested at the beginning, Beckett was now thoroughly glad the Colonel had insisted. He hadn't realised how much he'd missed home, but this little trip had made him feel like he was back where he had grown up, and it was doing his weary soul good. They were here to survey the planet as an alternative Alpha Site, and so far all the signs were looking good.

The musical sound of water flowing over rocks stopped his musings, and he knelt down to refill the Billy, scooping up some water to splash on his face at the same time. The water was cool and refreshing, and banished the last remnants of sleep from his mind. He reached to fill the pot, dipping it into the clear water when something caught his eye.

Carefully setting the container down, he knelt to get a closer look, eyes widening slightly. In the grass at his feet was a strand of something gleaming, caught in the rays of the morning sun. The strand was a filament about as thick as copper wire and iridescent in the early light. The colours glowed as if they had a life of their own. Wonderingly he put a hand out to touch it, and from that moment of first contact, he was lost.

The filament felt smooth and cool on his fingertips, like satin flowing through his hand. As he touched it, tiny particles not much bigger than molecules passed through his skin, and entered his bloodstream, filling him with a chemical compulsion, overcoming his innate sense of caution. Beckett wasn't aware of all this. All he knew was that he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to find out where this filament had come from, and what it was. No longer completely under his own control, though he didn't know it, he grasped the silken thread, marvelling again at the ever-changing colours coruscating along its length, shimmering in the sunlight. He could see that it trailed through the grass, and went into a stand of trees away from the campsite. Unaware that he had even moved, he found himself standing in the cool shade beneath the trees.

He paused briefly to wonder at how he had got there, (_this isn't right_), a small voice whispered in his head, but before he had a chance to really listen to it, the filament seemed to jump in his hands, and afraid of losing it, he went on again.

oOo.

At the campsite, the rest of the team were emerging into the morning sunlight. All had slept well, and were feeling better rested than they had in a long time. Teyla put what they were feeling into words. "It would be very pleasant if this planet is found to be safe. It has been a long time since I have felt as pleasantly relaxed as this."

Colonel Sheppard finished stretching the sleep from his muscles and agreed. "I hope so, too. We could all do with some R&R in a place like this." He rubbed at his stomach. "Camping always makes me hungry. I wonder where the coffee's at?" He sniffed the air, turning to Simons who was busy banking the fire. "Where's the coffee?"

"Ran out, sir" came the reply. "Dr. Beckett went to get some more water from the stream."

Sheppard looked around, seeing no sign of the Doctor. Abruptly, he felt on edge, the good feelings of a few minutes earlier dissipating rapidly. Something didn't feel right. "How long ago was that?" he asked.

"About ten minutes ago, sir."

"And you don't think it's strange that he hasn't come back yet?"

"Well, he's only just over there…" The marine trailed off when he realised that Dr. Beckett was nowhere to be seen in the direction he was pointing. Simons looked abashed. "Sorry, sir, I -"

"Never mind. Teyla, do you think you'll be able to track him?"

Teyla nodded her affirmative. "Right," continued the Colonel, "Simons, get a hold of Atlantis, let them know we may have a problem." The young marine saluted hastily, and fled the short distance to the Gate, preparing to dial Atlantis. Sheppard strode back to the tents, awakening the rest of the team as he did so. He'd learned early on that things never went as planned in the Pegasus Galaxy, and he could feel trouble brewing.

The two remaining marines stumbled from their tents, sleepiness evaporating when they caught the look on their CO's face. "Rowley, Hudson, full gear, meet me at the stream in five minutes, you're with me."

The two disappeared back into their quarters to get kitted out. Sheppard and Teyla zipped up their vests, and collected their own weapons, Teyla matching Sheppard's stride as he headed off back to the stream.

oOo

Carson found himself at the entrance to a dark-looking cave. The entrance was high, and the gossamer filament disappeared inside, becoming lost in the darkness. He hesitated for a moment, as if unsure, and then stepped from the light.

Inside was cold and damp, and the space felt cathedral-like, even though the ceiling and far walls couldn't be seen. There was a moist, earthy smell inside the cavern that Carson didn't much care for, but again, that strange compulsion pulled him forwards, deeper into the cave, hands still grasping the filament, using it now as a guide through the gloom.

Finally, the desire to keep going ended, and it seemed to Beckett as if he were awakening from a deep sleep. For the first time since touching the alien strand, he was actually conscious of where he was.

"What the bloody Hell?" he thought, as he dropped the silken thread, and hastily turned round. The entrance glimmered in the distance, and, feeling unnerved, he started to walk towards it. Trouble was, he couldn't move his feet. They felt…enmeshed in something. He tried pulling them out, almost tipping over in his efforts to raise one foot then the other from whatever it was that was holding them. He had a sudden unwelcome feeling that tipping over would be a very bad thing to do. Very bad indeed.

Carson paused for a moment, his struggles tiring him, and then he became aware of a dry rustling noise, as if a breeze were stirring long-dead leaves, and his mouth suddenly felt very dry. He wasn't panicking, no, not yet, but he was dimly aware of his heart rate accelerating and his breath coming in short pants as he redoubled his efforts to free his feet. The – restrained feeling was creeping up his legs, and vague visions of Wraith tic-bugs flashed through his mind. He was horribly aware of how alone he was here, isolated away from Colonel Sheppard and help, and that realisation did nothing to bolster his spirits.

A feeling that he wasn't alone caused him to straighten up sharply. He could see no one, but the feeling persisted.

"Hello?" he called out. "Colonel Sheppard?" Briefly his hopes were raised, then dashed, when the only sound he heard was his own voice reverberating in the cavernous gloom. The feeling of being watched didn't go, though.

"Hello?" he tried again, feeling rather foolish.

"Hello," a strange voice answered him, and startled, he tried to whirl round, finding it impossible with his feet held so firmly. He watched, wide eyed as an apparition of loveliness drifted into his field of vision.

A humanoid creature, ethereal, almost transparent in the dim light, and seemingly as gossamer thin as the filaments of which she was composed, drifted to hover in front of him. She shimmered, casting her own ghostly light, and Carson realised he was gaping like the village idiot. He shut his mouth with a snap, and closed his eyes. Opening them again, she was still there. Finally he found the courage to speak.

"Who're you then?" he asked. "Was it you who brought me here?"

"My name, who I am, is not important," she responded, in a voice as dry as dust, and involuntarily, Carson shuddered. "And yes, I brought you here."

Beckett tried to move again, but still with no success. The tight feeling had by now extended up past his knees.

"Why me? What d'you want me for?" he asked, though he really wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. The creature shimmered again, colours flashing as she pondered his question. It would all have been rather lovely, mused Beckett idly, if he wasn't held so immovably fast, and felt so helpless.

Eventually, she replied, still in that dead, dry voice. "You are the first of your kind to come here for a very long time. We need to expand. We need to colonize. You will help us."

Beckett's mouth became drier if that were possible. "Expand?" he croaked, hating the sound of his own voice. "I don't understand," though he wasn't sure he really wanted to.

"We must move on, seed new colonies, grow." The coruscating colours dimmed a little as she finished speaking.

Beckett's stomach clenched. He really, really didn't like the thought of where this was going. He tried even harder to free his legs, but they were held tight, so tight he couldn't really feel them anymore.

"And suppose I refuse to help?" He tried to sound braver than he was feeling, even though he was sure he hadn't felt so scared before in his life.

The creature appeared taken aback, surprised almost. "You cannot refuse," she said tonelessly. You are here, it is too late for you now."

She reached out and touched him. Beckett would have cried out against the awfulness of that touch if he'd had enough spit to do so. Instead, he gave a strangled gasp, watching in horror as the creature morphed in front of him, colours fading, body thickening, changing until she became Carson Beckett, looking as solid and real as he was himself.

"No," he whispered, too horrified to do anything else.

She/he gave no answer, merely held her/his arms out wide and cooed; a deep guttural sound that set Beckett's teeth on edge. The dry rustling that had become part of the background noise increased, and then Carson felt as if his heart would stop altogether. The Beckett creature smiled _his_ smile, and he saw hundreds, no, thousands of small scuttling creatures, shining, shimmering, crawling all over his doppelganger. The tightness in his chest increased as they ran from her to him. Dear God, they were all over him, myriads of little legs scampering, scuttling, busy weaving –

"NO!" he cried out, finding his voice at last, trying to beat the creatures off with wildly flailing arms. Another movement in front of him, and he looked up, up to see the Beckett creature morphing again into something out of his worst nightmares. A huge arachnid-like beast with wickedly sharp, pointed fangs reared up above him. He held his spider encrusted arms up to protect himself as the monster spider dropped, sinking her poison coated fangs deep into his shoulder.

And that, mercifully, was that, for Carson Beckett for a while, the spider monster and her scuttling minions spiralling away from him as he fell into the blessed darkness of oblivion.

The arachnid queen shrank, and morphed again into the shape of Beckett. She tried on the smile again for size, feeling the strange sensation of muscles bunching and moving in unfamiliar places. She looked down at the now unconscious doctor before her, and nodded approval at the thousands of little creatures that were busy encasing him in a silken cocoon. She reached down and plucked the communications device from Beckett's ear, and placed it into her own. She had transferred more than just his image into her consciousness when she had touched the human. Now she had his knowledge as well. Nodding her approval once more as the beautiful scintillating satin-like cocoon covered more and more of the human's form, she turned, and strode purposefully out of the lair, and into the sunshine.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECIEVING part 2

Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard entered the forest cautiously, eyes straining for a glimpse of their errant medical officer. Beckett seemed to have vanished into thin air, not having been found near the river, or anywhere within the encampment. Teyla had indicated that someone had headed into the trees furthest away from their camp, and had been moving quite quickly. She was just ahead of them now, scanning the ground closely, looking for the telltale signs that someone had passed through recently. Rowley and Hudson were nervously bringing up the rear, P90s held at the ready. They were fairly new to Atlantis, having come in on the most recent run by the Daedalus, and were anxious to please the recently promoted officer they had heard so much about.

The forest was cool and gloomy; their footsteps were soundless, muffled by the thick carpet of dropped pine needles, and the air smelled dank and musty like a little-used room in an old house. While it was a tactical advantage having their footfalls so effectively muffled, the disadvantage was that it made tracking anyone next to impossible.

They had gone maybe a few hundred yards into the shadow of the trees, and Sheppard was feeling increasingly nervous, when Teyla put up a hand in warning. Stopping, they unconsciously huddled together, protecting each other without being actively aware they were doing so. Up ahead, they could hear something moving, quite large by the sound of it, and getting closer to their position. Sheppard stepped to the front of the little group, raising his P90 defensively, safety off, curling his finger around the trigger, ready…

The –whatever it was- blundered through the forest towards them. All they could see were the trees and sparse undergrowth moving. A low, menacing growl erupted from in front, and Sheppard took another step forward, increasing the pressure on the trigger a little more.

A huge shape exploded out of the trees, coming directly at them. Sheppard was aware of the gasps of horror from behind him, but his attention was taken by the enormous bear-like creature that reared up, towering over him. He backed up a little, squeezing the trigger harder, preparing to fire, though it would be a bad idea to have that tonnage of wild animal dropping on him- when it stopped suddenly, gave a little snuffling sound not unlike a whimper, then turned tail and disappeared back into the forest.

Just in time, he released the trigger, managing not to shoot the empty air, swinging the P90 down and stepping back, feeling the incredible rush from the adrenaline fading.

"What the hell was that?" he asked shakily of no-one in particular.

"I have never encountered such a thing before," stated Teyla in her usual calm manner, but sounding shaken all the same. For a few moments more, the team stared at the empty space where the bear thing had been, then a soft sound from behind them caused them to

whirl round, Sheppard once more bringing his gun up protectively. He almost dropped it in relief. "Beckett!" he exclaimed to the figure standing there. "Don't ever do that again! I almost shot you."

The doctor made no move, nor did he really seem to notice they were there.

"Doc.?" Sheppard moved forward. "Doctor Beckett?" he asked. "Are you ok?"

"Colonel Sheppard?" Beckett suddenly seemed to come to, as if he'd just woken up.

"Yup. the same," Sheppard clipped the P90 to his vest, regarding the medic closely. "You alright?"

"Yes. Is there any reason I shouldn't be?"

Sheppard regarded Beckett and frowned. Something wasn't right. "Doc," he said gently, keeping calm, "You know you don't go wandering off on a strange planet on your own."

"Ah'm not on my own. You're here."

"Yes, but…" John stopped suddenly. This definitely wasn't right. He felt a need to get out of this forest and somewhere where they could have a chat about proper procedure on uncharted planets, but this wasn't the place.

"Okay," he continued. "Let's take this back to camp. You sure you're ok, Doc.?"

"Yes!" Carson sounded irritated. "Can we go now?"

Again, something struck Sheppard as not being right. They headed back to camp, Teyla asking the doctor where he had been, and getting no response. The Colonel resolved to keep a close eye on the doc.

oOo

The team had packed up and were heading back to Atlantis. Carson had carried on pretty much as normal, but no one had been able to get him to tell them where he had been or what he'd been doing while he was missing. The man would just clam up, and say he'd been walking. Sheppard still felt something wasn't right with their medic, but contented himself with just keeping an eye on him for the present.

The wormhole whooshed into life, and they stepped through, Beckett holding back, until Sheppard, always the last to go through, gently nudged him forwards.

"Ready to go home, Doc.?" he asked, knowing how much Carson hated travelling by wormhole.

"Uh, yes," was the succinct reply, and the pseudo Carson Beckett entered the event horizon.

The post- mission briefing was short; Dr. Beckett's unscheduled walkabout being the only matter of note, and it was only a half hour or so later that they were all in the infirmary awaiting their checkups. It still seemed to the Colonel that Carson was more subdued than normal, but no-one else appeared to have noticed anything different. Sheppard took the examining officer to one side and stated his concerns.

"Well, sir, he seems ok," replied Dr. Lawrence, "I haven't noticed anything unusual, but if anything turns up in his blood work, I'll let you know."

"Yes, please do that," said John, beginning to feel that maybe he was the one that was being paranoid. Casting a glance back in Beckett's direction, Sheppard was still struck by…something…that just didn't seem right. Shaking his head, he left the infirmary. Maybe all he needed was a hot shower, and a couple of hours downtime to get his equilibrium back. He didn't notice the covert look that Beckett sent his way as he turned to leave.

oOo

Beckett, the real Carson Beckett, was beginning to wake up. Water dripped onto his face, and still groggy, he reached up to wipe it away only to find he couldn't; his arms were firmly held down by his sides. Snapping his eyes open in a hurry, he tried to make sense of where he was. It was dark, and damp, and it smelled unpleasant. A dry rustling noise assailed his ears, and then all the memories came flooding back. Panicking, he tried to free his arms, but to no avail. All he managed to do was set himself swinging, and as soon as he realised this, his frantic efforts stopped.

Forcing a few deep breaths, he made himself calm down and take stock of his situation. The light inside the cave was dim, but his eyes had adjusted enough that he could just about make out where he was. And where he was, which was almost enough to set off the panic again, causing him to repeat the deep breathing exercises until he'd once more gotten a grip.

He was currently held in a-a _cocoon,_ suspended above the floor of the cave, quite a way above it too, if he was any judge. The floor beneath him seemed to be moving, and as he watched closer he realised it was moving-with the bodies of the spider things, scuttling about beneath him. Shuddering, he closed his eyes, a cold sweat breaking out all over. He was alone here, with no hope of rescue; the rest of the team would think that..that-thing - was him. He had to get out; he couldn't let Atlantis become the next nest.

oOo

"Colonel Sheppard, may I see you for a moment?"

The Colonel had been leaning against the railing of the balcony overlooking the control room, when the quiet voice addressed him. He turned to see Dr. Lawrence regarding him, and the expression on the other man's face was enough to send warning bells ringing.

"Sure," he replied, "What can I help you with?"

"You asked me to tell you if I found anything with Dr. Beckett."

Sheppard nodded.

"Well, the thing is, this blood picture isn't right." The doctor proffered the screen showing the blood results. They meant nothing to the Colonel.

"And?" prompted Sheppard.

"Well, I know this is going to sound crazy, but these results don't look human."

The Colonel stood straighter, and looked more closely at the medic. He knew from experience that Dr. Lawrence would have double checked everything, and if he felt something wasn't right, then something was definitely way off base. He took a moment to think what to do.

"Have you shown these to Beckett?"

"No, sir. I couldn't even if I wanted to; he seems to have disappeared."

"Right. Thanks, Doctor," said Sheppard. He tapped his earpiece. "Major Lorne, this is Sheppard. Meet me in the control room."

"Sir, be right there," came the reply.

"Did you get a chance to talk with Beckett?" Sheppard asked the doctor.

"Only very briefly. He seemed…preoccupied."

"Yeah, I felt he was a little off too, after the disappearing into the forest act. So, he doesn't know that we know about these results?"

Dr. Lawrence shook his head.

"I think that's a good thing. Ok, I'll get a couple of teams together and we'll find him. In the meantime, let me know if he shows back at the infirmary. And, Doc? Be careful."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECIEVING part three

The real Carson Beckett was waking up again, and the worst of it was, he hadn't even realised he'd nodded off. Water still dripped into his face, and he reached up and wiped it away. Crap. He felt like crap. All his muscles ached and twitched, and there was a deep burning sensation in his shoulder where the spider thing had bitten him. His head ached, his mouth felt like the bottom of a bird cage, and he was sure he was going to see the last meal he'd had return at any second. It took a moment for him to realise what had changed. His arm! He could move his arm. Excitedly, he tried bringing his other hand up, and felt he could almost make it if he kept trying just a little more…

The movement increased the swinging of the cocoon and it creaked alarmingly. He stopped, holding his breath, really, really not wanting to end up on the cave bottom with all those spiders. Struggling, wriggling frantically, but taking frequent pauses, both to get his breath back and to try and still the swinging of his prison, he was gradually getting free.

Just a little more…

oOo

The control room on Atlantis was seeing increased activity too. Sheppard stood with Major Lorne and the two marines who'd been on the planet with him, all dressed in full gear. Elizabeth Weir stood at his shoulder, and watched while Dr. McKay played with the biometric life signs detector to try and locate their errant chief medical officer, with little result.

"I'm telling you," said Rodney in that false patient 'I'm talking to children' voice that he could do so well, "that Carson isn't on Atlantis."

"He has to be," was Sheppard's response. "You all saw him come through the gate."

"The scans don't lie, Colonel. If Carson was here, they'd show him."

"Are you sure that thing is working properly?"

"Oh, my." Rodney raised his eyes expressively. "I _only_ just noticed. A big sign saying 'this machine is not working'." He huffed in exasperation. "Of course it's working Colonel, I ran a diagnostic myself when Carson first failed to show up on the sensors."

Sheppard opened his mouth to say something unhelpful, but Elizabeth stepped in smoothly.

"How about if you reconfigure them to show abnormal life signs? Maybe that would help."

"On it," replied McKay, fingers flying over the keyboard. "Ah, there. That should do it. Now, why should he show up as an abnormal reading?"

They looked at the screen which showed a red dot, heading down to the deeper levels of Atlantis.

"Is that him?" queried Sheppard.

"I sincerely doubt it's the tooth fairy," was the sarcastic reply.

"What's he doing down there?"

"What am I? The answer man? I have no idea, but if he was looking for somewhere his illicit stash of whisky wouldn't be found, then that's the place."

"Right," drawled the Colonel in exasperation. "Rowley, Hudson, you come with me. Major, you stay here and co-ordinate the search. Let us know if he changes direction or shape or anything." Sheppard shrugged on his pack, and turned to leave when Rodney grasped his arm.

"I'd like to come too, Colonel,"

Sheppard regarded him solemnly for a few moments. Despite their differences, McKay and Beckett had struck up an unlikely friendship over the months. "Ok, but it's likely to get dirty and smelly down there."

McKay didn't reply, simply pulled on his vest and indicated his readiness. He turned to Dr. Weir. "Zelenka should be able to monitor things from up here," he said.

Elizabeth nodded, and put out a call for Zelenka to report to the control room. "Good luck," she said as the team headed off towards the nearest transporter.

oOo

Back in the cave, Beckett was almost free. He'd decided that the water dripping on him must have softened the- silk- for want of a better word, enough for him to be able to stretch it somewhat. It seemed to have taken a very long time to achieve this much, and he was thirsty and light-headed. Sweat poured from him, and he was a realist enough to know it wasn't simply from his exertions. He needed medical help soon if he was going to get over the envenomation from the spider bite. He paused for a second, trying to swallow in a dry mouth, panting, trembling, muscles vesiculating from the poison rampaging through his body. His co-ordination was a bit off, and his vision was blurring.

A need to hurry made him redouble his efforts, and suddenly he was free. Unfortunately that meant there was nothing holding him up, and he tumbled from the swinging cocoon, limbs flailing, trying to grab purchase on empty air. He hit the ground hard, and lay there for a few seconds trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him by his sudden contact with the ground. Two things had saved him from serious injury, one being the looseness of his arms and legs, and the other, (and this caused him a grim sense of satisfaction), was the carpet of spider things that had cushioned his fall.

The realisation that he was lying on a mattress of squashed spiders gave him all the incentive he needed to get up fairly quickly, and the further realisation that more of the horrid things were coming to investigate what was going on with their food source gave him the kick start to get moving and get out of there. Even so, it seemed to take a long time before he was at the entrance to the lair.

He stood at the entrance, breathing hard, batting at spiders that were trying to crawl over him, and up his legs, squinting in the sudden bright light. It was the light that finally forced the rest of the spiders off him, and he watched disgustedly as they scampered back into the welcoming darkness of their cave. He shuddered at the memory of their legs running all over him, then abruptly turned to the side, and threw up, cradling his bruised chest as he heaved and retched. Finally done, he stood on trembling legs, trying to get them under some sort of control, then began to lurch unsteadily back towards the Gate.

oOo

The tunnels were damp, and dank, and water could be heard dripping ahead of them. They were slipping on slimy stuff that was faintly phosphorescent, and gave off enough of a glow that they could see where they were going without using their flashlights. It didn't smell very nice, either, as Rodney had pointed out on more than one occasion.

The scientist stepped in something, his foot went out from underneath him and he grabbed at Sheppard for support, nearly taking them both down.

"Ewww," he said, gasping, "Now that is just disgusting. What the hell is it?"

"It's just slime, McKay," replied the Colonel, amusedly, helping to right the disgruntled doctor.

Rodney picked up one foot, and examined the gooey mess sticking to the sole of his boot. "Yes, well, it's still disgusting, and who knows what made it." He tugged on his vest, trying to regain some of his lost dignity, aware of the two marines behind them, watching, and no doubt sniggering quietly to themselves. He regarded the lifesigns detector he was carrying. "He's still ahead of us, though we seem to be catching up. What he could be wanting down here is beyond me. We've got to be in the lowest levels of the city, below the water level if I'm right." His tone brooked no argument that he could be wrong. He started to move off again, realised he was going alone, and turned, glaring at Colonel Sheppard. "Well?" he asked.

Sheppard moved up beside him. "Just watch where you're putting your feet."

McKay stopped almost as soon as he'd started, and Sheppard almost ran into the back of him. "Rodney?" he asked.

"He's stopped," replied McKay regarding the lifesigns detector, "But I have no idea what he could be doing." He held the sensor up for Sheppard to look at, but all the Colonel could see was the little dot representing Beckett moving backwards and forwards at a rate of knots.

Sheppard tapped his communicator. "Dr. Zelenka, do you see what our sensor is showing?"

"Indeed I do, Colonel Sheppard."

"Any idea what he's up to?"

"None. It would seem however, that Dr. Beckett has acquired speed since he has been offworld."

"Right, well, look sharp, everyone," Sheppard raised his P90, and began to move forward carefully.

Rodney regarded him incredulously. "You're not seriously going to shoot him?" he asked.

"I'm just being careful, Rodney. You might want to get behind me. I wouldn't want you being in the way if Beckett's gone all darkside and decides to come running"

"Right, right, yes, of course." Rodney slipped in behind Sheppard; Rowley and Hudson bringing up the rear. The foursome continued warily down the slippery corridor.

oOo

Carson leaned up against a tree, and tried to catch his breath. Sweat ran into his eyes, and he wiped it away with an increasingly shaky hand. He had no idea he'd come so far under the alien influence, or maybe it just felt like it was an incredible distance, since his body was getting progressively weaker from the poison coursing through his veins. Shakily he tried to slow his breathing down. It was getting darker, night was approaching, and he didn't want to be out alone on this planet after nightfall. Summoning up his failing strength, he staggered off into the gathering gloom.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING part 4

"Colonel!" hissed Rodney in what he thought was a whisper. "According to this," he proffered the lifesigns detector, "We we should be right on top of him." He became aware that Sheppard had come to a standstill.

"What? What? What is it?" he asked, then he too looked up. In front, and slightly above them, was a web. Beautiful, scintillating rainbow coloured in the dim light, but a web nonetheless." Do you think that Beckett's caught in that?" he whispered, horrified.

"I don't think he's caught in it, Rodney, I think he made it." At McKay's horrified stare, he pointed upwards. "Look."

Rodney followed the line of light that the flashlight of Sheppard's P90 caused, sucking in his breath at what he saw. Behind him, he could hear Hudson and Rowley do the same. There, suspended from the ceiling, poised on the web was Carson Beckett. Or something that looked like Beckett anyway. He was looking down at them as if they were a tasty treat. Rodney backed away, hurriedly, colliding with Rowley as he did so.

"Well, that would explain why Carson didn't show up on the normal scans," said Sheppard still focusing his light on the Beckett creature.

For a few moments there was a kind of standoff while Sheppard and his team looked at Beckett, and Beckett returned their stares unwaveringly, then the thing on the web started down at an amazing speed. Sheppard looked quickly around, realising that this corridor was not the best place to defend. He decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and that they would find somewhere further back where they could hold the creature off until a medical team and some tranquillizer darts could get here.

"Rodney, RUN!" he shouted urgently."

McKay needed no further encouragement, turning and sprinting back the way they had come, as fast as he could.

oOo

The gate loomed out of the deepening twilight like a beacon of hope. "Oh, thank God," whispered Carson gratefully, sliding to his knees at the base of the DHD. He dialled Atlantis as quickly as his trembling hands and increasingly fading vision would let him, then sent his IDC as soon as the wormhole established.

In the control room, the tech who was currently taking over Peter Grodin's duties was startled into shouting, "We have unscheduled offworld activation."

Elizabeth came out of her office, and peered over the tech's shoulder at the console, lit up like a Christmas tree

She felt like saying, "_What now_?", but contented herself with a calm, "Any idea who it is?"

"Ma'am," the tech said, looking worried, "It's Dr. Beckett's IDC."

Elizabeth paused, stunned. Then- "Security detail to the Gateroom! Charlie," she turned to the tech., "Let down the shield."

Soldiers bristling with weapons ran into the Gateroom. The shield disengaged with a snap, and a bedraggled figure stumbled through the wormhole, which shut down immediately after he was through.

The figure stood, hands braced on knees as if trying to keep himself upright. He saw all the soldiers, guns pointed at him. "Oh, crap," he muttered, then hit the floor, where he lay unmoving.

For a long moment, no- one moved, then Elizabeth called, "Medical team to the gateroom!" Running down to the collapsed figure that bore a remarkable resemblance to Dr. Beckett, she called into her comm. "Colonel Sheppard, we have a - situation - in the gateroom."

Colonel Sheppard, currently running from the-whatever it was - that looked like Beckett, risked a look back. He could see nothing, so he took the a chance and stopped, the others taking their own chance opportunity to get their breath back.

"Elizabeth?" he questioned, peering back at the darkened corridor from whence they had run.

Dr. Weir's voice crackled in his ear. "Something, or someone, who looks like Dr. Beckett, has just come through the gate. Meet me at the infirmary."

"What?" he asked to the empty air, "What the hell is going on here?" Still breathing hard, he motioned to the two Marines. "You two, go to the entrance to this tunnel. Stay on watch, and if you see anything unusual, call me. Rodney, you come with me. We're going to see a doctor."

oOo

Elizabeth Weir met them at the entrance to the infirmary. Over her shoulder, Sheppard could see Doctor Lawrence working on someone who looked very like Beckett, and shouting for things Sheppard hoped he would never have to find out what they were.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Elizabeth took in his dishevelled appearance. "I could ask you the same question," she said, then indicated with her head the figure lying on the bed. "This person who looks very like Carson Beckett came through the gate a little while ago."

"But that's impossible," broke in Rodney. "We were running from Beckett just as you called."

"What?" she asked, raising her eyebrows incredulously.

"We were running from something that _looked_ like Beckett," Sheppard amended, "But no doctor I've ever seen is capable of building a web like that."

Dr. Weir looked at them as if they'd been out in the sun for too long. "I think you'd better come back to my office, and tell me just exactly what has been going on." She moved over to the doctor caring for the sick man on the bed. "Dr. Lawrence?" she asked, "How's he doing?"

The doctor looked over at her briefly. "Not too well currently. It looks like he's been bitten by something, and the envenomation is causing his systems to go haywire."

As she watched, Beckett's, (she couldn't help but call him that, he looked so similar to their own doctor), Beckett's body arched off the bed in a particularly strong muscle spasm, and a horrible noise was wrenched from the man's throat. Dr. Lawrence immediately focussed his attention back on his patient. She let him be, informing him that she would be in her office, and to keep her updated. Lawrence nodded briefly, acknowledging her comment, then went right back to what he was doing.

Sheppard and McKay followed her back to the control room, where Zelenka was still monitoring the main lifesigns detector. The red dot was still there, but now it looked…fuzzy, indistinct. Fortunately it was still some distance from the two marines Sheppard had left on watch, and was continuing the rapid back and forth movement that Sheppard realised was web-building. He said as much.

Rodney put forward a theory that he'd been contemplating for a while, as they regarded the activity going on in the deep tunnel.

"I think," he said, . "That the man in the infirmary is Carson Beckett. I think that the Beckett we saw in the tunnel copied our Beckett so we would bring it back to Atlantis."

Weir and Sheppard looked at him.

"What?" he said. "Think about it. We go to an uninhabited planet, Carson disappears, comes back acting all weird, doesn't show up on the normal lifesigns monitor, but does on the abnormal setting, and builds webs. Not Beckett's usual activities. Then, someone else, looking like Carson arrives through the gate, from the same planet I might add, and looks like he's been bitten by something. Makes sense?" he stopped looking at them both.

"He could be right," from Sheppard.

Rodney huffed. "Of course I'm right."

Elizabeth was just about to speak when a panicked voice came over their intercoms. "Colonel Sheppard! We need help!"

The sound of a P90 could be heard firing, and shouting in the background. Sheppard looked to Elizabeth.

"Go!" she commanded.

Sheppard nodded in return, and ran from the room, calling for security details to meet him as he went, and to bring a flame thrower. Rodney ran after, close on Sheppard's heels.

oOo

In the infirmary, Dr. Lawrence was looking at the readouts from the various monitors attached to Beckett's body when Elizabeth arrived. He looked up, but his expression gave her no comfort.

"How is he?" she asked.

"He's not so good." The doctor stepped back from Beckett's bed, and motioned for Dr. Weir to follow. "Whoever he is, he's been bitten by something pretty big, and the poison is having a deleterious effect on him. It was left too long without medical attention."

"Rodney is pretty sure he is Carson," Elizabeth said.

"I have to say I agree with him," responded Dr. Lawrence. This blood picture is human. The last one wasn't." He started at Elizabeth's look of surprise. "Colonel Sheppard didn't tell you?"

She shook her head.

"He had concerns about Carson from the moment they found him, and asked me to let him know if anything turned up on the post mission check up. Carson's blood screening at that point didn't appear normal. I told him then, but by that time, the person we thought was Carson had disappeared."

"I see," said Elizabeth, in a tone that brooked no good for the Colonel when she finally caught up with him.

"I'm sure he would have told you as soon as it was feasible," replied Dr. Lawrence wondering uneasily if he'd inadvertently landed Sheppard right in it. "Things have been a little hectic."

"You could say that. So, how is Dr. Beckett?"

"He could be doing better. We're giving him morphine and benzodiazepines to help with the symptoms, but he's still deteriorating. If this continues we'll have to give him anti-venin."

"Why not give it now?"

"We don't know if he's allergic to it. We're testing him for that right now, but it takes a little time."

Elizabeth nodded, and wandered back to Carson's side. He looked awful. Beads of perspiration rolled down his face, he was pale with dark shadows beneath his eyes. He was constantly trembling, and every now and then a more powerful muscle spasm would shudder through him. His shoulder was heavily bandaged, but even so it looked alarmingly red and swollen. She took his hand, and held it for a moment, looking troubled.

Carson was in a nightmare world of pain. His muscles trembled and shuddered, spasming out of his control. His abdomen was agony, he had the worst headache he could ever remember having, even worse than the time he'd sustained a hairline skull fracture while playing rugby, and hot fire consumed his shoulder. He became aware of a cool hand holding his, and squinted an eye open. Elizabeth Weir was standing right by him. He had to tell her- let her know about the other him. Shakily he tried to pull the oxygen mask from his face.

"Eliz-Elizabeth," he wheezed, dismayed at the sound of his own voice. " I have to tell… you-"

"Shhh, Carson, don't try to talk just now. Save your strength."

He made a noise that sounded something like an annoyed clucking.

"No…listen, there's…another me,"

"We know, Carson. John's chasing it down now. Don't worry about it."

"But it's not human…it's a-spider-thing."

"And that's what bit you?" She looked horrified.

He nodded and laid back, too exhausted to speak anymore. Dr. Weir, and Dr. Lawrence exchanged glances, expressions speaking volumes, then she turned her attention back to their sick medical officer.

"Don't you worry. We'll catch it, and send it back."

She was talking to thin air. Beckett had finally succumbed to the arms of morpheus.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING part 5

Sheppard rounded the corner, and skidded to a halt at what he saw. Rodney narrowly avoided running into him, and the security detail clattered more noisily to a halt behind him, the gadgetry and machinery they'd brought clanking as it came to rest.

McKay's eyes opened wide, and he echoed the softly spoken "Son of a -" that Sheppard had said seconds earlier.

Thirty or so metres in front of them, far too close in McKay's opinion, stretched a web, bigger than last time, though still as beautiful in the fitful light provided by the slimy algae and the flashlights they carried, the colours shimmering, changing second by second as they watched. But all that was background information. What really held their attention was the bloated grotesque thing that hung from the silken strands. The huge spider- like creature regarded them balefully from multifaceted eyes as she hung there, massaging her swollen abdomen. Her skin, or more correctly exoskeleton, appeared to be moving, but closer inspection revealed _it_ wasn't moving, but the hundreds of smaller spider things emerging from her body and scuttling over her then to the web made it seem as if it was.

The floor was carpeted with a heaving moving mass that the two marines were firing at sporadically, if ineffectually, and it was heading their way.

"Hold your fire!" barked the Colonel peremptorily.

The marines obeyed, backing away slowly as the mass of scuttling, scampering creatures advanced. Rodney, looking at the scene in horrified fascination, felt sure he would have nightmares about this for the rest of his life. More and more of the horrid things were emerging from the queen spider as they watched, dropping to the floor, running up the walls, and covering the ceiling. Sheppard was suddenly aware that they would be outflanked if they stayed much longer.

"Fall back," he ordered, retreating as he did so, coming to a halt a good few metres away from the advancing spiders. He regarded the oncoming menace for a few moments, then said, "Pass me the flame thrower."

Rodney addressed him as he geared up. "Do you think this is such a good idea, Colonel? If you burn through the ceiling, we're beneath the water level here, and I don't know how well the Ancient sprinkler system will be working down here, if all you do is set the walls on fire."

"Do you have a better idea, Rodney?" replied Sheppard looking him straight in the eye, "because I don't think we brought a big enough can of Raid." He carried on suiting up in the fireproof gear while McKay tried to think of a snarky comeback, and came up empty.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," was all he could come up with.

"I'll be relying on you to tell me my ass is on fire," rejoined Sheppard, hoisting the heavy canister onto his back. "Stay well behind, Rodney, crispy fried spider is gonna smell pretty bad." He flipped the fireproof visor down, then advanced towards the seething mass, holding the business end of the flamethrower protectively out in front of himself.

The roar of the weapon as it hurled fire at the roiling carpet of spiders shocked Rodney for a moment, then he rallied enough to get on the radio and tell Zelenka to ignore any fire alarms going off in the area they were currently in.

"What is the Colonel doing? The temperature readings down there are increasing rapidly!" Zelenka's voice sounded annoyed even across the radio.

"Toasting spiders," was McKay's terse response. "Look, just keep watching the readouts, and let us know if things look like they're getting too hot."

"Okay," Zelenka still didn't sound too happy.

McKay took a few steps back. Even from this distance it was getting pretty hot, Rodney hoped the fireproof clothing was keeping the Colonel from getting overheated. It looked like the whole place was going up, but closer inspection revealed it was the density of spiders on fire creating that illusion. To McKay, the whole scene resembled something out of The Inferno, the roaring of the flamethrower, the thick black smoke beginning to billow, the stench, the fire dancing up the walls, across the ceiling, and over the floor in front of Sheppard. He hadn't expected the noise, and then the Queen, realising her brood was in danger, screamed a horrible ululating caterwauling that hurt his ears. He looked up in time to see the monster scrabbling at an unbelievable rate down the web, heading towards the Colonel. He barely had time to shout out a warning, having no idea if Sheppard would even hear, before the thick black smoke obscured his vision…

oOo

In the control room, Elizabeth Weir was pacing anxiously, alternating between watching the readouts on the lifesigns monitor, and staring over Zelenka's shoulder. She startled when an alarm began shrieking, sighing in relief when Radek turned it off. He looked at her apologetically. "The fire control systems for that area have just come on. Colonel Sheppard is using the flamethrower against the creatures."

She nodded, clasping her hands and trying for a semblance of calm, listening to the roar of the flamethrower. Her face tightened as she heard an ungodly shriek, and Rodney shouting…

oOo

In the infirmary, Beckett tossed in a world of pain and sweat as the venom upset his metabolism. It was impossible for him to lie still, the twitching of his muscles causing frequent position changes as he vainly sought somewhere to be comfortable and cool. Having anything but a light sheet against his skin was agony, but the cool cloths one of his nurses applied to his face and neck helped more than he could have thought possible. The drugs were making him drowsy, and he wanted nothing more than to be able to let go and sleep, but the activity around him prevented even that, though to be fair, the pain in his gut wasn't helping.

The shrill tone of an alarm on one of the monitors they were using to help assess his condition startled him into another bout of muscle spasms, fresh perspiration breaking out over his already damp body. The nurse, Caroline, reached out and silenced it, her smile, meant to be reassuring, belying the urgency of her body language.

"Dr. Lawrence," she called softly, knowing sounds were painfully magnified for Carson, "His blood pressure just went up again."

He heard the measured footsteps of the doctor approach, and felt the quiet while Lawrence checked out the readings on the monitors.

"Ok, the drugs aren't helping enough any more. We need to try the anti-venin. Carson?"

Becket nodded as best as he was able to in response to his doctor.

"We're going to try the anti-venin now, though I have to be honest, I don't know how much good it'll be against Pegasus Galaxy arachnid venom."

Beckett simply nodded again, then reached out and feebly grasped at Lawrence's wrist. "You're just doin' what you have to do, lad," he whispered.

Dr. Lawrence returned the pressure, then left to prepare the medication needed.

Beckett felt the drug slip fluidly into his vein, felt the coolness it brought with it, but wasn't prepared for the liquid fire that followed. His spine arched wildly as he tried to escape the fire that burned within, only dimly aware of all the monitors alarming as his staff hurriedly moved around him, trying to combat this latest complication. It was all too much, and finally he was able to slip into the oblivion he'd craved for so long.

oOo

Colonel Sheppard was trying to flame as many of the small bugs as he could before the fuel for the thrower ran out. He was concentrating hard on what he was doing, trying to ignore the growing heat within the suit, spraying the burning fuel around, spreading it as far as possible. He was trying to watch for the Queen, but the encroaching smoke obscured his vision. He thought he heard Rodney shout a warning, but didn't have time to process it before he was flung to the ground by a huge weight landing on top of him. Desperately he sought a way to push the monster off, but he was fighting a losing battle. As she reared up to strike, he acted mainly on instinct, and plunged the nozzle of the flamethrower, still dripping flaming fuel, into her exposed underbelly. The creature dropped hard, knocking all the wind out of him, and crunching his chest, preventing him from drawing breath. The hood of the flame proof suit was knocked off by flailing multi-jointed legs, and he found himself face to face with something from the fevered imagination of a Stephen King novel. She reared to strike again, and he scrambled out from underneath her as fast as his injured chest would allow, curling up against the anticipated bite, but it never came. Instead, as he risked looking up, he saw the spider monster disappearing back down the tunnel, away from the carnage he had wrought.

Still desperately trying to suck air into his protesting lungs, he croaked out, "Shoot it! Stop it from going deeper!"

He was rewarded by the sound of several P90s being fired, and that awful, high pitched screaming assaulted his ears again. He became aware of McKay at his side, trying to help him up, and he accepted the proffered hand, using Rodney's body as a prop to bolster his sagging energy.

The ensuing silence was blessed. And Sheppard took a moment to stare round at the smoking ruin of the corridor, now being doused with seawater from the ancient fire systems. His comlink crackled into life.

"Colonel? Colonel Sheppard, this is Weir, what is going on down there?"

Sheppard took another long look around at the steaming lumps of charcoaled spiders, charred walls, and finally the unmoving body of the spider Queen lying further down the hall. Taking a shaky breath, he replied, "Threat neutralized," then abruptly sat down again, legs unable to support his weight.

He gazed up at Rodney, whose face was blackened with soot except where the sprinkler system had started washing it off, eyes huge in the man's shocked expression.

"Jeez, Rodney," he wheezed, "You look awful," and before he could hear the snarky reply he knew McKay had waiting, he promptly passed out.

oOo

Carson woke slowly, awareness gradually returning. He had vague memories of searing heat throughout his whole body, running feet and agitated staff barking out panicked orders, but it could just have all been a bad dream. He hoped so, but on trying to move, found that theory brutally disproved.

His body was one giant ache, and he was sure his head had expanded and grown so his neck could no longer support its weight. In the background he could hear monitors beeping, and one was speeding up. His, he supposed, then started to worry about who else could be hooked up to a heart monitor. His escalating anxiety caused a corresponding increase in the rate of the beeping, and in just a few seconds he was aware of the comforting presence of Dr. Lawrence standing beside him. He felt the other man taking his pulse – it seemed that despite all the technology, sometimes the good old fashioned way comforted the doctor – and he could almost feel the smile lighting up the other man's face.

Carson risked cranking open one eye, just to shut it again tightly when the bright lights of the infirmary sent the pounding headache he was suffering, up until now just a background ache to go with all the other aches and pains, roaring up to an eight out of ten on the Carson pain scale. With a hurried apology, Dr Lawrence turned down the lights until they were bearable. Beckett opened his eyes again.

"What happened?" he croaked.

"Well," began the other doctor.

"I didnae hurt anyone, did I?" interrupted Beckett, the cause of his anxiety surfacing again.

"No," soothed Lawrence, "In fact, quite the opposite. Your return to Atlantis proved that that-thing definitely wasn't you, so Colonel Sheppard was able to neutralize it."

"Oh. So why is there another monitor giving my headache a headache?"

"Well, that one's down to Colonel Sheppard. No, don't worry," he continued as he saw Carson's eyes open wide in alarm, "He'll be ok. The spider thing fell on him, cracked a couple of ribs, nothing the Colonel isn't used to, and he got a bit dehydrated in the fireproof suit. Are you alright?" he asked, suddenly concerned as Beckett lay back and closed his eyes, an expression of long suffering on his face.

"Aye, I'm fine. That man's a trouble magnet."

"He is that," agreed Dr. Lawrence. "Now, how about you. How do you feel?"

"Like I went ten rounds with the entire Olympic boxing squad," muttered Carson tiredly. "When can I get out of here?"

Dr. Lawrence let out an unprofessional expletive. "When I tell you you can and not before," he said. "Believe me, Carson, you're going to be sore for a few days. We nearly lost you! It took us a while to get you stable, and I'm not about to let all that hard work waltz out of the door too soon. You know yourself you'd only be back again."

But the doctor was speaking to himself. Beckett was out for the count again.

**Much later…**

It was the rasping noise of an electric buzz saw that finally woke him, then he heard the steady beep, beep, beep of a heart monitor, and that sound was way too familiar, especially hearing it in stereo as he was doing now. Stereo? That couldn't be right. He risked opening an eye, and found as he'd thought. He was in the infirmary_, again_. Crap. Looking over, he caught sight of Carson in the bed over from him, and the buzz saw? McKay was sleeping in a chair positioned between the beds of his two friends, head tipped back, snoring and drooling, and wasn't that a picture to wake up to.

"Colonel? Colonel Sheppard?"

Carson. He tried sitting up, realising it was a big mistake, and lay back, biting his lip as his chest informed him of all the reasons why he shouldn't try that again for a while. After he'd got his breath back, he rolled slightly, and looked over at the other occupied bed.

"Carson? Are you ok?"

"I will be," replied the doctor. "What happened to you?"

Sheppard shuddered at the memory of flaming spiders. "Got dropped on by Spider queen. Obviously she didn't appreciate my efforts at barbequing the family." He laid back and closed his eyes, then, "You?"

"Spider bite is as horrible in this galaxy as it is on Earth."

"She bit you?" Sheppard was horrified.

"Aye." There was a pause as each man digested that unpleasant image. "She just wanted to stop me from getting back and warning you." Beckett left out the part where he was probably supposed to be lunch for the workers left behind.

"Yeah, I was going to talk to you about that."

Carson shifted uncomfortably in his bed. His muscles were still sore as a result of the venom and its effects, but he knew what was coming.

"Why'd you go wandering off on your own?"

"I didn't appear to have much choice in the matter. Dr. Lawrence figured out that there was something on the silk that caused me to want to follow where it led, despite myself."

Sheppard rolled back and closed his eyes, feeling the pull on his sore chest. "This should be an interesting debriefing," he said, making the understatement of the year. Between them, Rodney snorted, hitched his breath, then resumed snoring.

"That is so annoying," stated Beckett emphatically. Sheppard was about to agree when movement at his side prompted him to open his eyes again, and there was Dr. Lawrence smiling down at him.

"Welcome back, Colonel, you've been asleep for quite a while now. It was about time you rejoined the living. How are you feeling?"

"Like a monster spider dropped on me," he replied dryly. "What's the damage this time?"

"A few cracked ribs, some heat exhaustion and dehydration caused by over enthusiastic spider barbecues."

"So when can I get out of here?"

"When I tell you that you can. Believe me, the next few days are going to be sore."

Sheppard nodded, then asked, "Carson?"

Dr. Lawrence looked a little more solemn. "Ah. Well, he'll be our guest a little longer than you, though he's finally on the mend now. The spider venom was pretty potent, and we had to give him some anti-venin. It worked really well, too, eventually, but he caused us a few problems while it was doing its thing. Still he's on the mend now, though he needs to sleep for about a week to recover. And so do you. Need to sleep I mean."

Sheppard yawned, but said, "I'm good. Rodney?" he inclined his head towards the drowsing scientist.

"Rodney's fine, just a little smoke inhalation. He'll be annoyed he was sleeping when you woke up, but maybe I'll finally be able to get him to go to his own quarters."

Sheppard was feeling sleepy again, and realised Dr Lawrence was adding something to his IV.

"Go back to sleep, Colonel. You can get up to speed in the morning."

The Colonel nodded sleepily as he slid down into the depths again. Somebody else could watch out for them all, just for a little while…

THE END


End file.
